It's late in the day and I am just now ck-ing in. Thank you for clarifying how the families being Mormon fits in with their reactions at this time.
I have prayed for my children since before they were born and still do and always will and I say God forbid that either one ever get themselves in a nightmarish mess of any kind. If that were to happen, again, God forbid, I would stand by them and love them always.
L.L., you say, 'The family of the murderer loses that child for eternity.'
What about repentance? What about the forgiveness of the Lord? With that the child wouldn't be lost for eternity; that child would be cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb ... let the water and the Blood from Thy wounded side which flowed, be for the sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless look to Thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, See Thee on Thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.
Christ's atonement is infinite. If Mark Hacking truly repents, he can be saved, in the sense that he will not be consigned to spent eternity with Satan. But, for us, there's a difference between salvation and exaltation, where we are united with our families.